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Kaleena Mosquada-Lewisis an unstoppable basketball force, averaging 22 points and seven rebounds a game this season. Here’s a peek at her life off the court.

What her family’s like “My mom’s into baseball, and my dad’s a huge soccer fan. We watch the World Series together, and we watched the World Cup together at three in the morning.” How she kicks back “I like to hang out with my friends and read books. Going to the movies is probably the thing I like most. I just saw Source Code. It was good but kind of trippy.” What’s on her iPod “The Chris Brown F.A.M.E. album.” What she watches on TV “Everybody Hates Chris, The Game, Phineas and Ferb.” The thing about college that excites her most “Being on my own. You have some freedom when you get your license, but it’s not the same as living by yourself. You have to be an adult. I’m a little nervous, though.”

What she’ll miss most “The comfort of California and my family. We’re really close. I have a 1-year-old brother, and my grandparents and cousins all live nearby.”

A basketball powerhouse from California tops PARADE’s 35th annual girls basketball team. Is she the next Lisa Leslie?

PARADE’s 2011 All-America Player of the Year, 17-year-old Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, has one big concern on her mind as she prepares to join the University of Connecticut Huskies, the team with the longest winning streak in NCAA men’s and women’s basketball history: “I dont have winter clothes yet!” says the senior from Anaheim, Calif. “But Lauren Engeln [UConn’s freshman forward] grew up minutes away from me, and shes been all right. I think I’ll be good.”

The 6-foot guard will be far better than good in the big-time world of college hoops, according to Kevin Kiernan, her coach at Mater Dei high school. “She’s a great shooter but can also play inside,” he says. “I know she’ll do well.”

Top Players of 2011

Originally from Nigeria, the 6-foot-2 Imovbioh might be the surprise of the finalists, but her numbers don’t lie. She is a rebounding machine and hovered around 30 points per game this season.

Elizabeth Williams

Williams, a 6-foot-3 center, made more than 50% of her shots in high school and can rebound and block with the best players in the nation. She’ll be a star at Duke next year.

Jasmine Hines

Hines is the all-time leading scorer for both boys and girls in Michigan, and she’ll bring that ability to Michigan State next year. At 6 feet 3, she should be a force in the middle for the Spartans.

Kaleena tops a list of 40 high school basketball seniors from 30 states, compiled by PARADE in association with Sporting News. She committed to UConn when she was a junior. “The girls there have the same drive as me,” she says. “They want to win.”

When she was young, few would have predicted that Kaleena would become a star—when she started playing in the third grade, she’d dribble off her foot. But as a result of practice, determination, and a love of the sport, she’s grown into a game stealer. She set women’s basketball records at her school for points (2,744), three-pointers (337), and rebounds (872).

The press has already heralded her as the next Lisa Leslie, the WNBA superstar. Both are from Southern California, and both can now claim to be a PARADE Player of the Year (Leslie earned that honor in 1990). “They have the same bearing,” Kiernan says. “They’re classy and well-spoken, and they do great things off the court.”

Recently, Kaleena had the chance to meet Leslie. “I was beside myself,” she says. “She’s one of the best female athletes ever.” Kaleena hopes to play in the WNBA after college, as Leslie did, and then go into sports broadcasting. Right now, though, her focus is on getting ready for next year. “I know [UConn] Coach [Geno] Auriemma is going to push me to my limits and challenge me mentally. I’m getting ready so I can do my best.”

AMG/Parade Digital

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